Paper-folding machine.



No. 893,629. PATENTED JULY 21, 1909.

0. w. JOHNSON.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

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No. 893,629. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.. 0. W. JOHNSON.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 7, 1907. RENEWED NOV. 16, 1907.

11 SHEETS-SHEET 2.v J7

3] vwenfcz Q vi H1 eases PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

O. W. JOHNSON.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1907. RENEWED NOV. 16, 1907.

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l vita use: 4 0 e7d/Z/a-50/a W 95% 'r No. 893,629. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908. 0. w. JOHNSON.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 7, 1907. RENEWED NOV. 16, 1907.

11 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

attoznugo No. 898,629. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908'. 0. W. JOHNSON.

' PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 7, 1907. RENEWED NOV.16,1907.

' 11 SHEBTS-SHEET 5 'IIIIIIIIIII 8 woe n fez df/ Jfi/waam 75 1 W m cases I PATENTED JULY 21 0. W. JOHNSON. PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 7. 1907. RENEWED NOV. 16, 1907.

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No. 893,629. Q PATENTED JULY 21, 1908. 0. W. JOHNSON.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 7, 1907. RENEWED NOV. 16, 1907.

11 SHBETS-SHEET 7.

v 0. /4 efa/Ezz So/ Witnesses I No. 893,629. PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

0. W. JOHNSON.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1907. RENEWED NOV. 16, 1907.

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PATENTED JULY 21, 1908.

0. W. JOHNSON. PAPER FOLDING MACHINE. APPLIOATION FILED FEB. 7, 1907. RENEWED NOV. 16, 1907.

11 SHEETS-SHEET 9.

0 1% aJa/wwa/a (bu-7, atfozmu o Q/Vi hz eases .PATENTED JULY 21, 1908'.

0. W. JOHNSON.

PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1907. RENEWED NOV. 16, 1907.

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ado swa a No. 893,629. PATENTED JULY 21, 1-908.

0. w. JOHNSON. PAPER FOLDING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1907. RENEWED NOV. 16, 1907.

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UNITED) sTArps PATNT OLIVER W. JOHNSON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVELAND FOLDING MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

PAPER-FOLDING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 21, 1908 Application filedFebruary 7, 1907, Serial No. 356,288. Renewed November 16, 1907. Serial No. 402,534.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that'I, OLIVER W. JoHNsoN, citizen of the United States, residing at Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and.

State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Paper-Folding Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class or type of paper-folding machines that operate upon the sheet buckling principle.

The primary object of the invention is an efficient machine of this character designed for. the printing and book-binding trades.

generally and more particularly forvthat class of printers who have heretofore been compelled to depend, for this part of their work, upon the unsatisfactory and unreliable manual services of boys and girls who work today and cannot be found to-morrow, making the promised delivery of goods uncertain in those shops that cannot afford to keep a large number of hands constantly employed.

A machine of this character, to be satisfactory and fulfil the requirements of the trade, must be compact, simple, durable, and comparatively cheap to manufacture so as to be within the reach of all classes of printers, and

it must be capable of making the (so-called)- book folds of four, eight, and sixteen pages, each fold at right angles to the fold preceding, and also susceptible to adjustment,

whereby it may make one, two, or three parallel folds, and the invention has for its object a machine which will successfully meetthis standard and which willbe so constructed as to be readily convertible, and without the necessity of a machinists services, especial tools, or the detachment or attachment of any parts, from a right-angle folder to a 0nd folder and a third folder and adapted to pass the sheet from one to the other, this ast-named feeding mechanism being hereinafter distinguished from the first-named by the terms .down-feed and cross-feed, and a third folder adapted to fold the sheet again at right angles to the second fold and to deliver it into an automatically extensible stacking mechanism.

A further object of the invention is an imroved construction and arrangement of uckling plates whereby the friction and adhesion of the paper to the surface of said plates is reduced to a minimum and the elec tric conditions, so fatal to the commercial 1ntroduction and successful operation of this class of folding machines, are entirely removed, and whereby the sheet, as it is fed 1n between the primary and secondary plates, is held in an even, straight line and when buckled between the rolls toproduce the fold is caught by said rolls in an absolutely true position. i

A further object is, in a machine of this character, the provision of metal ends on all the rolls of the folders, such ends being turned to a true surface whereby the pressure of the boxings or journals and the pressure of roll against roll cannot cause one end of same to flatten with the consequent nonalinement and the result of causing the sheet to skew into an angle untrue to the correct fold, this feature being especially important where a soft or elastic material is used in the roll construction. 4

Another object of the invention is a paperfolding machine in which the rolls 0 each folder are disposed in trian ular arrangement with two of the three rol s in peripheral contact with the third and out of contact with one another, the said third roll having'a yielding surface such as felt or rubber, while the other two are of wood or similar hard or unyielding substance, so that the paper in its traverse to and from the buckling plates, will always pass between one yielding and one unyielding roll, thereby effecting the best results.

A further object of the invention is a crossfeed mechanism which will meet all the conditions'peculiar to this type of machines, and which will, therefore, receive, at any time,

from the first folder, a sheet of any size ,within the limits of the machine, and quickly pass it down away from said folder, and keep it properly closed together, and gently but effectively pressed on to the cross-feed device of this portion of the machine, so that it will be delivered into the vertically-disposed second folder straight and true and with its folded edges exactly at right-angles I to the line upon which the second fold is to be made. Y

A further object is to provide, in a paperfolding machine, amarking or slitting device which will automatically cut a sheet into two or more distinct parts, or produce cuts at intervals in a sheet and leave short spaces of .paper uncut to hold the partially severed makirlig the folded edge as nearly flexible as the u olded edges.

. A further object is a slitting device of this general character which will be easy of access, removable, and adjustable to cut, mark, or slit at any lace on the sheet that is ,desired. And a rther object is a slitting device'of this character which is so mounted on, or correlated with, the cross-feed mechanism, that they both together may be swung to an inoperative or to an operative'post tion, 1t being recognized that the slitter will not usually be needed if parallel, and not right-angle, folding is being performed.

The invention also has for its object a cross-feed c onveyer u on which the folded edge of the once-folde sheet rests as it is fed transversely to the second folder, which conveyer (belt) will receive and deliver on a horizontal line and be susceptible of an elevating or lowering adjustment to such an extent that different papers may be entered into the second folder. at the proper angles ecullar to their particular textures and be olded accurately.

-The invention also has for its object a down-feed mechanism interposed between the second folder and the third folder which is below the second, and so constructed and arranged as to be capable. of receiving the sheet at anytime from the delivery rolls of the second folder and automatically aline'it and positively feed or deliver it in an absolutely correct position to the receiving rolls of the third folder.

The invention also has for its object an improved mechanism for producing the third fold in the sheet, which will feed all of the layers or plies of the twice-folded sheet prop. erly into the buckling plates of the third folder in the manner hereinafter specifically set for- 1.

The invention also has for its object certain new and useful adjuncts for the buckling plates whereby the paper may be guided accurately against an adjustable stop device so as to impede its movement and effect the buckling operation, and whereby, whenever desired, the advancing edge of the sheet may be arrested at one or more points, as will be hereinafter set forth. And the invention further has for its object certain new and useful details of construction and arrangements and combinations of parts that, while, in a. sense ancillary 'to the main features above set forth, are nevertheless important points of construction that enter largely, and in some instances indispensably, into the successful operation of a machine of this character. In connection with the following detail description of the parts, reference is to be had to t e accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 1s a side elevation ofthe machine; Fig. 2 is a front elevation thereof; Fig.

3 a vertical longitudinal sectional view 7 through the entire machine; Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view on the line 44 of Fig.

2; Fig. 5 is a similar view on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2 Fig. 6 is a horizontal secti nal view, the section being taken above the rolls ofthe third folder; Fig. 6 is a view, in the nature of a diagram, of the ends of the rolls of the third folder; Fig. 7 is a detail to plan yiew of a .110

portion of the slittin mec anism; Fig. Sis a transverse sectiona view of said slitting mechanism Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the slitting mechanism; Fig. 10 is a fragmentary top plan view illustrating the rolls of the sec- 0nd folder and the feeding mechanisms that are adapted to pass the folded sheet after the first fold has been made to the second folder, and after the second fold has been made, t0 the third folder; Fig. 11 is a detail side elevation, upon an enlarged scale, illus trating the adjustable mounting for the cross feed mechanism and how it may be held either in an operative fposition or in an imfip erative position out o folding mechanism; Fig. 12 is an enlarged detail view illustrating the stacker for the folded sheet; Fig. 12 is adetail view, partially diagrammatic and partially in section,

illustrating a portion of the first folder; Fig.

the way of a para el 1 14 is a detail view illustrating one of the stacker rolls; Fig. 15 is a detail erspective view, partly in full lines and part y in dotted lines, illustrating the adjustable mounting for the buckling stop; Fig. 16 is a detail view of an attachment for said stop shown applied; Fig. 17 is another view of the device illustrated in Fig. 16, Fig. 16 illustrating the said device inside elevation, while Fig. His

a face view; Fig. 18 is a detail view of one of the stops detached and on a reduced scale; Fig. 19 is a detail transverse section of a portion of a buckling plate; Fig. 20 is a detail vertical transverse section, illustrating the rolls of the third folder and the means for feeding the aper to such rolls, together with a gage for t e said feeding mechanism; Fig.

21 is a detail transverse sectional View of one of the secondary plates for the buckling device; Fig. 22 is a face view of a fragment of the buckling plate, used particularly in con-' nection with the second and third series of folding rolls; Fig.23 is a transverse sectional view of the plate illustrated in Fig. 22; Fig.

24 is a detail or fragmentary View, illustrating a guide for the advancing corners or side edges of the sheet as it is fed between the buckling plates; Fig. 25 is a top plan view of this guide; and, Fig. 26 is a detail perspective view of said guide detached; Figs. 27 and 28 are a detail side elevation and end view of one of the rolls, partly broken away to show the structure.

Corresponding and likeparts are referred to in the followin description and indicated inall the views of the drawings by the same reference characters.

Theframework of my im roved paperfolding machine embodies t he. two open frames or castings 1 and 2 that are connected together by the transverse spreaders 3 and that are provided with the bracket 4 upon which to ournal certain portions of the movable elements. The drive shaft 5 may be rotated by means of pulleys or by an electric motor, or in any desired manner, fast and loose ulleys 6 and 7 being mounted on the shaft 111 the present instance. Mounted.di-

rectly upon the drive shaft 5 is the roll A which is the main roll of the first folder. Co-

acting with this main roll are the two rolls B and O, the roll B being mounted in suitable ways in the framework of the machine above the main driving roll A and the roll C being located at the rear of the rolls A and B as best seen in Fig. 3. As has been above stated, it is the pur ose of my invention to provide all of the ro s with metal ends, such as those indicated at 6 in Fig. 6, and it is also the purpose to have one of every two engaging rolls made with a eriphery of felt,

rubber, or other yielding su stance, intermediate of the metal ends, while the intermedi ate portions of the other two rolls are constructed of wood or some other unyielding.

substance. .Hence, in the rolls A, B and C, it will be understood that the roll A has a felt or rubber periphery, while the rolls B and C are relatively hard. The rolls B and- C are out of contact with each other, but both are in peripheral contact with the main driving roll A. The paper sheet to be folded is fed over the surface feeding table a and between the side gages or guides 19 on to a surface conveyer or feeder which, as best seen in 7 5 Fig. 3 is a pair of rollers driven from the main roll A, or its shaft 5 by means of a sprocket connection 43 as indicated in Fig.

2. As the paper is fed in between the rol s A and B, it meets, as best indicated in Fig. 13, the toe 11 of a primary buckling plate 8. This plate is arranged at an inclination to the surface feed, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 3, and embodies a series of parallel bars 9 that are spaced from each other to provide the intervening s aces 10.

As seen 1n Fig. 13, the primary late 8 is provided, in juxtaposition to the ro ls A, B and C, with a heel portion 12 whichis in substantial alinement with the line of feed and is convex or curved, as shown, and the said primary plate 8 is also formed with a se ries of ribs 13, both in front of the heel 12 and extending from said heel upwardly and rearwardly on the lower surface of the said plate. As the aper is fed in past and around the heel 12, 1t meets the secondary buckling plate 14, which is secured to the lower surface of the primary plate 8 and is s aced therefrom to provide a passage for the eeding-in of the sheet between the said two plates.

As shown best in Fig. 21, the secondary plate 14 is very finely ribbed or corrugated so as to present, within reasonable limits a minumum of contact surface to the paper and it is preferably of zinc. The primary plate 8 supports a rod 15 by means of apertured ears or brackets 16 and 17, and u 'on this rod 15, a carriage 18 is mounted to s ide and is held at different adjustments along the rod by means of a set screw 19. The rod is graduated, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 15,

so as to enable the o erator to accurately adjust the carriage a ong the rod. The carriage. 18 is provided with two oppositely ex tending arms which are slotted and which receive adjusting nuts 20 through which and through said arms hooked bolts 21 extend,

so that the said bolts'are arranged for independent ad'ustment or extension on the carriage. 22 esignates a stop which is angular I in cross section, as shown, and is provided with a series of fingers 23 adapted to extend down into the several spaces 10 of the primary late 8. The purpose of this stop 22 is to impede the on-coming sheet, as it is fed in between the plates and arrest its motion, so that the further feeding in of the sheet will cause the same to buckle and be can ht by the rolls A and C to form the first fo (1. It

" similar attachment, said attachment consjtion with respect to the other.

In order to accurately guide the paper as y it is fed in between the two plates 8 and 14,

so that it may be (properly alined against the sto 22, the sai stop may -be provided at 1ts ends, as best seen inFigs. 24', 25 and- 26 with curved guide arms 24 which are formed integral with brackets 25' that are slotted at 26 andare held to the ends of the stop 22 by means ofscrews, as shown, the slot 26 enablin the curved guide 24 to be adjusted latera 1y to meet different. conditions. It may also be desirable to stop the in-c'oming sheet at different oints, that is, to have some means that will strike the advancing edge of the sheet atone ormore points, rather than throughout its entireextent. For this purpose, I may use the attachment illustrated in Figs. 16 and 17, or

sisting of a hooked finger 27 which is ada ted to be adjustably held along the stop y means of a set screw'28 and which finger extends down in front of thefingers 23 of the sto at the desired-point, and is rovided pre erably with a tapered or beve ed front edge 29, as shown. v

The paper having been fed in between the buckling plates 8 and 14, and stopped, is caught, as has been above stated etween the rolls A and C and is crimped by them to form the first fold and is then, by the continued motion of said rolls pressed 'firmly between them to effect a proper fold and is fed downwardly through such rolls to the cross feed which is intended to carry them to the i 4 second folder.

As the slittin attachment in the preferred arrangement 0 parts, forms a practically permanent element of the cross feed, I shall describe said'slitting attachment in connection with said feed, reference being had especially to Figs. 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 and 11-.

The pa er in its downward movement from the 'rst folder meets at the'outset the slitter 31 and its com anion roll 30 and passesbetween them an the c'oactingguide rolls 32 and 33. These slitters are arranged along their res ective shafts 34 and 35 at the direct point w ere the secondfold is to be made at right angles to the first fold and in v order'thatthey may be adjusted to the re quired point, they are held upon their shafts screws as shown. While the slitting de-' vices, may, if desired, sever the once-folded sheet into two distinct parts, it is mainly.

intended to slit them at intervals so as to leave integral s aces which will hold the partially severe parts together when the subsequent folds are being formed, and to this end one of the slitting devices is provided with notches on its periphery as indicated in Fig. 8. These slitters are adapted to run at precisely the same speed as the main driving roll A so that they will-not tear the paper ;while it is being slit.

It is manifest that the slitting device described may have itsv edge to formed, that is,

sufficiently dull as so merely score or mark the sheets instead of slitting them.

The paper, after being slit or scored, as, described,-"continues downwardly into the uppermost pair of cross feeding rolls 36 and 37. Three pairs of these rolls are shown in su erposed relation and extending horizonta y. The rolls 36 and 37, as well as the shafts 34 and 35 of the slitters, are held within a casing or frameworkembodying two side plates or castings 38 which are held together byspreaders 39 and which castings .are pivotally mounted at their lower ends upon a transversely extending shaft 40 jour-' naled in bosses 41 in the main framework. In order to hold this casin orframe in aver- 'tical position, where it wi l'receive the sheet from the first folder, such position being indicated in dotted lines in Flg. 11, a strut 42 is pivotally connected to one end of one of the spreaders 39 and is forked at its other end as indicated in dotted lines in said figure, and is adapted to rest upon one of the s readers 3 in one of the main framework. hen this cross feed is not desired, but is to be-replaced by the parallel folder herein described, the

strut 42 is disengaged from the spreader 3 and the said casing or frame is permitted to swing forwardly and .rest upon the said 'spreader'as indicated in full lines in Fig. 11.

To obtain the best results, the slitters must be driven at the same rate of speed as the main driving-roll A, as above stated, and

the downwardly feeding rolls 36 and 37 of the cross feed mechanism must. be driven at a relatively'high rate of speed. To secure the proper relative .movements in the "simplest manner, I provide a train of gearing consist- 7 ing of the sprocket connections 43, 45 and 63. The connection or sprocket gearing between one of the slitter shafts and the shaft of the next adjacent downwardly feeding roll has a difierential gearing, while the gearing 63 betweenthe shaft 40 and one of the lowermost downwardly feeding rolls is also differential, but in opposite proportions so that the followingresult is effected, namely, the slitter runs at the same rate of speed as the main roll A while the rolls 36 and 37 run at a relatively high rate of speed. The respective rolls 36 and 37 ofthe respective pairs are geared together as indicated at 46 in Figs. and 9.

meets the transversely operating portion of the cross feed mechanism, this consisting of a belt 47 which is located at the bottom of the series of down feeding rolls and which is supported by a transversely extending casing 48 which is pivotally mounted at one end so as to be adjusted in a vertical lane, on the stub shaft 49 mounted ina brac et 50 of one of the side plates or castings 38 of the cross feed casing. The belt or convcyer'47 travels at one end over a driving pulley 51 and over a series of smaller pulleys 52 which maintain it always traveling in a trueeven plane, and in order to adjust the casing 48 vertically, an adjustin screw 53 is mounted toextend upwardly through a small ledge formed on the opposite side plate 38, said screw' bearing against the lower side of the laterally projecting lug 54 formed on a side of the casin 48, as best seen in Figs. 2 and 5. The belt 47 may have its tension adjusted by means of the slide 53 carrying a roller at one end, as shown in Fig. 2 and mounted to move along the flanges 54" of the case 48.

The belt 47 is driven from the shaft 40 by means of a bevel pinion55 on the stub shaft 49 and a similar pinion 56 on the said shaft 40. This latter snaft is provided at one end with a bevel pinion 57 meshing with the loose pinion 58 on the vertical shaft 59 and arranged to be operatively connected or made fast to said shaft by means of a set screw clutch 60. The shaft 59 is driven by means of a bevel pinion 6], said inion meshing with a similar pinion 62 on t 1e main driving shaft 5. Up to this oint, then, it will be seen that thepaper, a 'ter it has received one fold, has its two sheets or plies fed down- 1 wardly through the successive pairs of rolls I 36 and37 on to the transversely moving belt 47, and in order that the pa er shall not kick up at one end as it strikes t ebelt, it is to be particularly understood that the rolls 36 and 37 are set just far enough apart to support the paper and prevent it from bending down by its own welght and are not close enough together to present any appreciable friction against the paper to retard the transverse movement thereof towards the second folder;

As the once folded sheet is carried in a true horizontal plane and transversely of the. ma-

- chine towards the second folder, it passes through the comparatively narrow slot 64 in the left hand casting or side plate 38, so that its side edges will be kept closely pressed together and it also passes between rolls65 and 66, which form extensions of the rolls 36 and 37, as best seen in Figs. 4 and 10. ,In addition to theseextension rolls 65 and 66, which feed the paper directly into the second folder and which for this purpose extend close to the rolls of the second folder, I may provide The paper having been fed down-- wardly between the rolls-36 and 37 finally series are the unyielding rolls, while the roll B is yielding in its nature. The roll A is the main roll and receives its motion from the main drive shaft 5 by means of a bevel pinion 68 on said drive shaft, said pinion bein loose on said shaft and clutched thereto by the set screw clutch 69 and meshing with the bevel pinion 70 on the upper end of the shaft of the roll A as seen best in Fig. 2.

Passing between rolls A and B, the paper passes between the buckling plates of the second folding mechanism, the primary plate having a fiat heel-as best seen in Fig. 10 in contradistinction to the bulge or convex heel 12 of the first folder. As the sheets have by this time become somewhat highly charged with static electricity which is a feature that has been fatal to machines of this character, I have found by actual experiment that the primary plate 71 of this second foldershould present as small a contact surface to the aper as possible and that this surface should e irregu ar and not along well defined lines. Hence, as best seen in Figs. 22 and 23, the contacting surface of the primar plate 71 is serrated or roughened, preferab y by sharp diamond shaped fingers 72 which present sharp points to the paper and which overcome and obviate entirely the electrical conditions, in connection with the secondary plate 73 which is similarly formed. The paper, after being fed in between the plates 71. and 73 is arrested by the stop device 70* of these plates and the sheet is then caught between the crimping rolls B and C so as to produce a second fold at right angles to the The third folder is in a plane below the second folder and in order to feed the twicefolded sheet to the third folder, I provide the three pairs of obliquely extending rolls 74, one pair above the other with their lower rounded ends in juxtaposition to and in alinement with the rolls B and C These rolls 74 and their concomitant parts comprise the down feed mechanism and the said rolls are journaled at their upper or rear ends only in bearings 75 within a portion of the mam framework. Theyare geared to move simultaneously by means of the airs of sprocket connections 76. The posltion of these rolls 74 at a low angle to the horizontal, provides that the paper, after the second fold, will be drawn inwardly or to the left of Fig. 1 until the twice-folded sheet has been entirely justing shaft of the roll B liberated from the rolls B and C The horizontal movement of the twice folded sheet must be arrested exactly at this point and such movement converted into a vertical and downward movement, and for this purpose I provide the adjustable gage 77, which, as best seen in Fig. 20 is provided with a series of superposed fingers extending between the respective pairs of rolls 74 and serving as a stop to the paper. This gage 77 is adjustably mounted upon a threaded adrod 78 which has a handle 79 at one end for turning it, and the bottom of the gage 77 rests level upon the level surface of the bottom late 80, said plate being provided with a s 0t 81, and the gage being provided with a beveled lug 82 adapted to extend down into'said slot. As soon as the paper comes'into contact with the fingers ofthe a e 77, the continued rotation of the rolls 7 4 will feed the paper: downwardly in a selfalined manner throu h the contracted slot 81, and to the third folder; and as the slot 81 is beveled or contracted as shown, it-will keep the sheets pressed together, so that they will enter between the rolls of the third folder.

The third folder embodies the rolls A B and C of which the rolls A and B are unyielding and the roll C yielding. The roll A is the main roll of this series and is driven directly from the main roll A of the second folder, by means of a bevel pinion 83 on the lower end of the shaft of the roll A and a similar pinion 84 on the shaft of the roll A as indicated in Figs. 1, 2 and 6. As indicated in Fig. 6 the roll A is provided with a gear wheel 85which is operatively connected with the roll B through the instrumentality of an idler gear 86 and the ear 87 on the The roll 0 is an idler, and is driven by the friction of the paper passing between it and the respective rolls A and B according as-the paper is being fed into the buckling plates of t e third folder, or out of said lates into the stacker. The

, shaft of the r0 1A is connected by a sprocket andchain gearing 88 with a stub shaft 89 (see Fig. 1), said stub shaft and the lowermost shaft of the roll 74 being provided with pinions-90, so that said-rolls 74 are driven by means of the main roll A of the third folder. As the pa er is fed downwardly through the contracte slot 81, it is fed by the rolls A? and G into the buckling lates 96 of the third folding mechanism, tfie secondary plate of these two being detachable by means of the set screw 97, as best seen in Fig. -20.- The primary plate of these'two has a substantially flat or slightly recessed heel as also seen in this view. h After the twice folded sheet has been arrested in its motion by the stop devices of the third folder, it is caused to buckle between the crimping rolls B and C and is thence drawn outwardly by means of said rolls and the third fold produced.

As the thrice-folded sheet is delivered from the rolls B and C ,it is engaged by means of a series of curved guide fingers 94 that are all supported by means of a transverse bar 95, (see Fig. 1) and these curved guide fingers 94 direct the folded sheet down into and between the delivery rollers 92 and 93. The roller 92 is fluted, as shown best in Fig. 12

and receives its motion from the shaft of the idler 86 by means of sprocket connection 91. The paper finally asses down into and between upright stac king arms 98 and 99, the said-arms 98 bein stationary and extending up past the two r0 lers 92 and 93 by means of grooves in the roller 93, while the stacking arms 99 are relatively movable. The lower ends of the stationary stacking arms 98 are held within brackets 101 which are formed with upper and lower series of rollers 103 upon which the lower or main stacking boards 102' are mounted to travel in plane. These boards support the auxiliary andvertioally adjustable stacker boards 104, which are su ported by means of set collars 104- upon t e fingers 99 and. coa'cting upa horizontal rights 105, and thesaid boards 102 and 104 p are slotted or spaced-from each other transversely, so that the said boards, together with the relatively movable stacking arms 99 may be moved outwardly as indicated in Fig. 12 with respect to the stationary arms 98 so as to effect the extension of the stacker as the sheets accumulate. The upper ends of the stacking arms 99 are curved outwardly as shown.

As the thrice-folded sheet engages the guides 94, it is thereby deflected downwardly and received in the fluted roll 92 which moves at the same surface s eed as the delivering rolls B and C At this point, the sheet is fed into the two rolls 92 and 93 on down until the advanced edge engages the stacking arms 99 and 98 and on down until the said edge reaches the platforms or boards of the stacker. This stacker'board or bottom is so set previous to the arrival will be far enough from the junction of the rolls 92 and 93 to permit the loose or top edge of the sheet to just clear the said rolls 92 and 93, and the bend in the guide having caused a strain to be exerted on the sheet at the top "end, the edge of the sheet is thereby caused to bend towards the first flute in the roll 92 that comes around to itafter the edge has been released from the engagement of the two rolls. The flutes are of such a nature that they will hook over the edge of the sheet, and as the roll continues to turn around, it will force the sheet to bend downwarduntil the lower edge engages the stacker board. This should leave the top edge of the sheet still too high to escape the bottom periphery of the sheet that it ows that it can never/ return to its formerv position and thus room is left for the, next sheet to enter. If it is desired that the sheet be fed directly to the stacker after a second fold has been made at right angles to the first, without producing a third fold in the sheet, this result may be accomplished by merely removing the set screw 97 and detaching the secondary plate 97 which it normally holds. It is then obvious that the twice-folded sheet will be fed downwardly throu h the, rolls A and C and delivered direct y to the stacking arms. 0

The rolls of all of the folders are provided with slots in their bearings, so that the rolls may be pressed together.

At the outset of the specification, it was stated that one of the objects of the invention was a machine of this character which could be easily converted from a right-angle folder to a parallel folder, and vice versa. The detail construction to effect this result is best illustrated in Figs. 1, 3 and 11. When i the cross feed mechanlsm is swung to the inoperative position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 11, it leaves room for a parallel fold mechanism which comprises two rolls 106 and 107 that are journaled at their ends in and between two arms 108 ivotally supported by the main framewor and adapted totswing in a vertical plane. The said arms 108, carry, beyond the rolls 106 and 107 a set of buckling plates 109'adapted to assist in producing a second fold in the sheet parallel -to. thefirst fold; The said arms 108 also carry'aii oppositely facing set of buckling plates 1 10 adapted to assist in making the third fold of the parallel series.

VVhennot in use, the castings or arms 108 depend from their pivot points and by their own weight are he d out of the way of the cross feed mechanism and in the position illustrated in dotted lines in Fig. 1.1. In order that the said parts may be heldin the full line position illustrated in Fig. 11, one or both of the arms 108 are provided with spring latches 111 that are adapted to be sprung under latches 112 of the main framework, and the tension of these s ring latches to securely hold the parallel folder in operatlve position may be regulated by means of set screws 113.

When in the operative position illustrated in full lines in Fig. 11, the roll 107 engagesthe roll C and is driven frictionally by it, the roll 106 being driven in like manner by the roll 107. Hence, as the first fold is produced means .of the sprocket gearing 43.

rolls A, B and C are mounted in triangular arrangement with the axis of the roll A in a absolutely even straightline.

between the rolls A and C the folded sheet is fed into or between .the buckling plates 109 and then out again between the rolls 0 and 107 and thus delivered to the buckling plates 110, the motion of the paper being arrested and the third fold'beingformed between the rolls 106 and 107. If it be desired to form only two folds in a sheet, one fold arallel to the other, the secondary plate of t e set 110 may be removed and the twice-folded sheet will then merely pass out over the roll 106. In order, now, to make clear the advantages resulting from my invention and the details of construction hereinbefore set forth, and in order also to point out the requirements for a successful machine of this character and show how my machine fulfills these requirements, I deem it expedient to give a rsum of the operation of the machine and a description of the traverse of the sheet of paper from its introduction into themachine to the timeit is delivered as a folded sheet.

The sheet to be folded first passes into the rolls A B and C from the small surface feeders C operated from the main roll by ese slightly lower plane than the axis of the roll 0 The sheet is fed first into or between the buckling plates and is arrested at the proper point by an adjustable stop device and so caused to buckle by the continued inward feed that it will be caught by the rolls A and C and crimped to produce a perfect first fold and thence delivered downwardly to the cross feed mechanism. In passing between the buckling plates 14 and 8 -of the first folder, it is to be particularly noted that these plates present the least amount of friction to the paper when it is moved between them and also provide the least possible chance for the sheet to bend or wrinkle up when the onward movement of the sheet is stopped and the buckle is made. It is to be noted that the primary plate 8 of the first folder has a curved heel 12 which is located between a ridged or ribbed leg portion and a similar foot portion. By this means very little metal is resented to the surface of the paper and at t e same time the primary and secondary plates are close together and prevent the paper sheet from wrinkling up or doubling as it travels up to the stop mechanism, and the heel 12 holds the paper as it .is fed in in a gradual curve and it is held in an The paper then passes to the slitting attachment. By introducing a slitter at a point where it can engage the first fold as it is delivered from 1 the same and out it in slits from one and onehalf inches to two inches long, leaving very small uncut portions between said slits, to hold the semi-severed parts together and in alinement, the fold is caused to come at the justable so that it may cut or perforate any width of paper used and be removed whenever desired from an operative position to an inoperative position. Hence, it is embodied in or related to the adjustable or removable cross feed mechanism because when one is I not wanted, the other is useless also, and

when the cross feed is wanted and the slitter is not, then the slitter may easily be removed from the cross feed frame. When in the operative position, all motion of the cross feed mechanism, together with the slitter, may be caused to cease by disengaging the clutch 60 from the bevel pinion 58. It is also to be noted inconnection with the cross feed and slitting attachment that one. set of gears and sprockets shown answers the pur ose of distinct pieces of mechanism, and that by the system of differential sprockets above described, a high speed is imparted to the cross feeding device, while the speed for y the slitter is reduced to that-of the main roll A of the first folder. After being slit, the oncefolded sheet passes to the cross feed mechan 1sm,

not touch each other, but are set at such a distance apart that they rub on'the sheet of paper, but do not forcibly hold or convey it as would be the case if they were set tightly together. After 'it finally reaches the belt 47, it is positively in a compact form with the edges close enough together to prevent spreading or changing of position. *As the" s 1 ght friction on the sides of the paper by the rolls 36 and 37 kee s the once-folded sheet on th b lt, it fol ows that the said sheet will be truly delivered to the second folder and cannot change its position, as the rolls 36 and 37 present practically no resistance to this cross motion of the sheet. The

sheet is thence fed transversely into the vertically disposed second folder. In order-to produce amachine that will foldthe right angle book fold for four, eight and sixteen pages, I have found it necessary to have the second folder so arranged that it will occupy the least amount of space and be located so as to require the least amount of motion to driveit, anddeliver the folded sheet from the first folder to it, and also so set that the same 'ro'lf receiving the power from the driving elewhich is so arranged that the rolls do 1 carried in a horizontal die rection and delivered -to the vertically dis- -posed second folder,

ment, such as the main shaft 5, may transmit it direct to the other rolls of its series and also to the third folding mechanism below.' It is also necessary that the second folder'be set in such relation to the fold it must make, 7 that it will receive, fold, and deliver the sheet to the third folder in the shortest possible time and over the shortest possible s ace. These requirements, I believe are comp etely fulfilled by the location and arrangement of the second folder consisting of the rolls A B and C After the sheet has been folded twice, it is necessary to provide some means for passing the twice-folded sheet to the third folder, 0 and it isessential that this feeding mechanism receive the sheet at any time, with no appreciable resistance, yet with sufiicient friction on the paper that if. the machine is, stopped, the sheet stops also and does not fall out or change its position from that in which the moving parts left it. At the same time, it must be positively a force feed and yet not tear the paper if something should engage the latter and stop its further progress without stopping the movement of the device at the same time. It must be able to line up the sheet true to the receiving rolls z of the third folder, so that it will enter exact and be folded true and be delivered in that condition closely pressed together to the receiving elements of the third folder. Fur- 4 thermore, it must be adjusted to any size sheet For these reasons, I have provided the rolls 74 that are run in series with one pair above another and set at a low angle to the horizontal plane, .(see Fig. 1) with the lowermost end unsupported and in coni tiguity with the delivery rolls of the second folder, and so arrangedthat they will re- 'ceive the delivered sheet between their rounded front end securely and simultaneously. The pairs of rolls 74 in this series are set so closeto each other that thesheet is closely but not rigidly held between them, just tight enough that the spring of the pa er will hold its own weight. Thus the ro s, being set at an angle and running at a high rate oflspeed will carry thevpa er as soon as releasedfrom the second fol er downward and at the same time away from said second folder and will bring' the first-delivered edge of the sheet against the arms ofthe gage 77 set to receive it, and not allow the'lastre-- I leased edge of the sheet to pass away from 1 the second folder, for it must be just released from the delivery rolls of said second folder. Hence the rolls 74 will act as guides to keep the edges of the sheet from spreading and to direct its edges to the receiving 5 istics from the buckling plates of the first folder, said differences residing in the contact face and heel of the primary plate. It will be remembered that the primary plate on the first folder is described as having a round convex heel and a longitudinally ribbed face. The primary plates of the second and third folders are different in these respects for the reason that the conditions in the making of the second and third folds are found to be entirely different from those of the first fold. The placing together of two or more sheets makes a new combina- =tion that renders the first arrangement to respectively, to handle and as they have just been folded, the sheets have a tendency to bulge or spring outwardly against the opposing faces of the plates, hence, if the ridges or ribs 13 were to be used with the buckling plates of the second and third folders, the sheet on the outer side would be depressed between said ridges and thus create a wrinkle when the sheet buckled. To overcome or avoid any such contingency the primary plates of the second and third folders are recessed in some form such as that indicated in Figs. 22 and 23, whereby points or small rounded knobs are presented to the depressed sheets so that they cannot be depressed down between them and cause a wrinkle.

In order to make the sixteen page fold, the third folder which embodies the rolls A B and C is necessary, so as to receive the twice-folded sheet and make another 7 fold at right angles to the preceding fold and in the center of the sheet. Oneof the main draw-backs to this third fold operation heretofore has been the buckling of the sheet when folded and also the uneven condition of the sheets in the fold when the operation of'the 'sheets has been completed, leaving the tween the shafts of the main rolls of the second and third folders, then by using the system of gear drive, 85, 86 and 87 on the shafts of the rolls themselves, the system of propulsion is complete. It is to be ar-. ticularly noted, however, that the roll 3 of the third folder is not driven by any power other than that of friction of the roll by contact of the sheet of paper while it is passing through. In making this third fold, it is necessary to overcome the irregular condition of the inside sheets when folded, so that the printed matter will lie level and line up true with the rest of the sheets. In order to do this, I use the arrangement or theory, which I have found successful by practice that the outside sheet must be retarded in its movement through the crimping rolls B and C and to do this, one of these rolls must positively drive and the other be driven by the sheet itself and thus retard said outer sheet, making the inner sheets force themselves into it to propel it through, and thereby compelling all the innermost sheets to fit tight to one another in the angle of the fold and retain all their regularities. Then the folded sheet passes automatically to the stacking mechanism, the operation and advantageous features of which have been pointed out above.

From the foregoing description in connection with the accompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have provided a comprehensive, simple, durable, and efficient paper folding machine for practically all classes of work and particularly from the minimum grade or 100 size of work down to the smallest folds practicable, and one that will fulfil the requirements of a successful machine of this character, as hereinbefore set forth, and one that can be manufactured at a price, owing to its 105 simplicity, that will be within the reach of all classes of printers so that they may be able to compete with the lar er concerns upon a more profitable basis w ich is a desideratum in the printing trade generally, 110 and its allied trade of book-binding.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is:

1. In a paper folding machine, the combi-' nation of mechanism arranged to produce a 5 first fold in a sheet, mechanism for producing a secondfold in the sheet at right angles to the first fold, a cross feed mechanism arranged to receive the sheet from the. first folder and deliver it to the second folder,- said cross feed mechanism including a transversely operating ortion, and a downwardly feeding portion, t 1e latter consisting of a series of horizontal rolls arranged in pairs, the

rolls of each pair being out of contact with each other and free from pressingengagement upon the twoplies of the sheet, where'- by they will support the sheet on the transversely operating portion of the feed mechanism without interfering with the operation 

